Mirror mounting assembly

ABSTRACT

A mirror mounting assembly for mounting a mirror on a vehicle bulkhead. The assembly includes a mirror element and a main support arm having a first end and a second end. The mirror element is connected to the first end of the main support arm. The second end of the main support arm is mountable to the vehicle. A pair of brackets are configured to conform to an engine bay side wall of the vehicle. Each bracket has a center portion and two laterally extending flanges that extend at an angle from the center portion in opposite directions. One of the flanges of each bracket is connectable to the bulkhead of the vehicle in the engine bay. A first additional support arm has a first end connected to a first one of the brackets and a second end connected to the main support arm. A second additional support arm has a first end connected to the main support arm and a second end connectable to the vehicle. Finally, a third additional support arm has a first end connected to the main support arm and a second end connectable to the vehicle.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional application under 37 C.F.R. §1.53(b) ofU.S. application Ser. No. 11/442,832, filed May 30, 2006, now U.S. Pat.No. 7,717,576, which is a divisional application under 37 C.F.R.§1.53(b) of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/737,238, filed Dec. 15, 2003,now U.S. Pat. No. 7,055,973, the entire contents of all of which areincorporated herein by reference. This application is a continuation ofU.S. application Ser. No. 12/147,239, filed Jun. 26, 2008, now U.S. Pat.No. 7,837,338 which is a continuation of application Ser. No.11/442,832, filed May 30, 2006, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,717,576, which isdivisional application under 37 C.F.R. 37 C.F.R. §1.53(b) of U.S.application Ser. No. 10/737,238, filed Dec. 15, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No.7,055,973, the entire contents of all of which are incorporated hereinby reference. This application is also related to U.S. application Ser.No. 11/362,637, filed Feb. 27, 2006 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,252,398, andU.S. application Ser. No. 11/784,402 filed Apr. 6, 2007, now U.S. Pat.No. 7,290,891, the entire contents of both of which are incorporatedherein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a mounting assembly for mounting amirror to a motor vehicle.

2. Description of the Prior Art

It is desirable for such mirrors to be mounted so that the driver cansee both in front of the vehicle, as well as toward the rear of thevehicle. This is generally accomplished by mounting the mirror as farforward on the vehicle as possible, as well as laterally projecting fromthe vehicle. This type of mounting of course requires elongated mountingarms which increase the vibration of the mirror. Furthermore, in theprior art mirrors, the mounting arms are generally fixed to the bodypanels of the vehicle which also vibrate during operation of the vehicleand thus leads to an even greater vibration of the mirror.

The mounting of the mirror mounting assembly to the body panels requiresdrilling holes in the body panels. These holes, especially those made inthe fender of the vehicle in the vicinity of the wheel well, expose thebare metal of the body panel to moisture which leads to rust andcorrosion developing in the area of the mounting hole. Due to therelatively thin metal used in constructing motor vehicles, in a veryshort period of time the area around the mounting hole becomes rustedand is no longer structurally sound and thus is no longer able toadequately hold the mounting assembly. This results in having to eitherrepair the body panel and remount the mounting assembly or move themounting assembly to another location which entails drilling new holesin the body panel. This in turn leaves the body panel in the area of thepreviously-drilled holes to further deteriorate.

Detachable mirrors are also known, as evidenced by U.S. Pat. No.3,395,883. This mounting utilizes a clamp that engages around the lip ofthe wheel well of the vehicle and feet that contact the inner face ofthe fender edge forming the engine compartment. The feet are held inplace by tension generated by a rubber element that extends between thefeet at the engine compartment and the clamp at the wheel well. Theproblem with this type of device is that it is easily removed and isthus subject to theft. Furthermore, since the mounting arms are mountedto the body panel there is also the problem of vibrations beingamplified by the mounting arms.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide amounting bracket for a rear view mirror which alleviates the vibrationand mounting problems associated with the prior art devices.

Pursuant to this object and others which will become apparent hereafter,one aspect of the present invention resides in a mirror mounting bracketin which the mounting bracket has at least two arms that are mounteddirectly to the vehicle bulkhead. This mounting of the bracket arms tothe bulkhead avoids the vibrations created in the body panel. Themounting bracket also does not require any holes to be drilled in theexterior of the body panel. These two arms of the bracket are configuredat one end to be mountable at the engine bay at, preferably, the samepoints at which the fender is fastened to the vehicle bulkhead or frame.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the ends of the arms aremounted to the bulkhead using a bracket having a longitudinal centralportion and a laterally projecting flange at each end of the centralportion. The flanges project from the central portion in oppositedirections. One of the flanges is mounted to the bulkhead in the enginecompartment so that the central portion extends above the upper edge ofthe engine compartment and the other flange extends laterally away fromthe engine compartment. The exposed end of the bracket has one of thearms of the mounting construction mounted to it. The central portion ofthe bracket fits between the side edge of the vehicle hood and the wallof the engine compartment when the hood is closed.

At least one additional mounting arm connects the mirror to the vehiclebody to provide a stable, at least three point mounting at the side ofthe vehicle. This additional mounting can be provided either by clippingthe end of the arm around the edge of the wheel well, mounting the armsdirectly to the body panel of the vehicle or, mounting the arm to thebulkhead or frame of the vehicle by either a bolt that passes throughthe body panel and the bulkhead or, having a bracket mounted inside thewheel well to the bulkhead so that the bracket extends from the wheelwell and is connected to the mounting arm.

In another embodiment of the invention, a single bracket is mounted tothe bulk head. The bracket is substantially Z-shaped wherein a first legof the Z that is mounted to the bulkhead has a width sufficient toextend over two mounting holes of the bulkhead. The other leg of theZ-shaped bracket is substantially narrower. A connecting web between thetwo legs of the Z-shaped bracket has a width that decreases from thewide leg to the narrow leg. The narrow leg of the bracket extends fromthe engine compartment. The two arms of the mounting bracket arepivotally mounted to a support member. The support member is mounted atone end to the narrow, exposed leg of the Z-shaped bracket. Furthermore,the support member is shaped to follow the contour of the vehicle fenderso that the support member rests against the fender. In order to avoidscratching of the vehicle fender, a padding material is provided betweenthe support member and the fender.

For a more complete understanding of the vehicle mounting assembly ofthe present invention, reference is made to the following detaileddescription and accompanying drawings in which the presently preferredembodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example. That theinvention may be embodied in several forms without departing from thespirit or essential characteristics thereof, it is expressly understoodthat the drawings are for purposes of illustration and description only,and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention.Throughout the following description and drawings, identical referencenumbers refer to the same component throughout the several views.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the mirrormounting assembly of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a view showing the fastening of the embodiment of FIG. 1 tothe engine bay bulkhead;

FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of the mirror mounting assembly of theinvention;

FIG. 4 shows the embodiment of FIG. 2 fastened to the engine baybulkhead;

FIG. 5 shows a clip mounted to the wheel well lip;

FIG. 6 shows a bracket mounted in the wheel well;

FIG. 7 shows a third embodiment of the mirror mounting assembly; and

FIG. 8 shows the embodiment of FIG. 7 mounted to the engine baybulkhead.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As can be seen in FIG. 1, a first embodiment of the inventive mirrormounting assembly has a mirror element 1 mounted to one end of a mainsupport member 2. In this embodiment, the main support member 2 has asubstantially L-shape. The mirror 1 is attached to the free end of thelong leg of the L-shaped support member 2. The end of the short leg ofthe support member 2 is attachable to the vehicle, via the un-numberedarm support which is attached to the vehicle by screws (un-numbered).This type of mount shown in FIGS. 1, 7 and 8, which is attached byscrews (or bolts) to the vehicle is well known in the art. This end ofthe support member 2 can be attached either directly to the vehiclepanel as shown in FIG. 1, or can be clipped around the edge of the wheelwell by a bracket or clip 3 attached to the end of the support member 2(see FIG. 5). A support arm 4 extends between the free end of the longleg of the L-shaped support member 2 and the end of the short leg of theL-shaped support member 2. The support arm 4 can be attached to thesupport member 2 in any one of a variety of ways, including clamping 5or welding. Two additional support arms 6 a, 6 b extend from the shortleg of the L-shaped support member in a region of the angled portion 7of the support member 2 connecting the legs. The additional support arms6 a, 6 b have a first end that is connected to the support member 2 by,for example, clamps. The second end of the support arms 6 a, 6 b isattached to a bracket 8 that is configured to be mounted to the bulkheador frame of the vehicle in the vicinity of the engine compartment. Thismounting can be better seen in FIG. 2.

The brackets 8 are folded members having a central portion 8 a and twoend flanges 8 b, 8 c which extend laterally from the central portion 8 ain opposite directions. The end flange 8 b is connectable to thebulkhead or frame, preferably by the same bolt which mounts the fenderbody panel to the frame. The angle between the flange 8 b and the mainportion 8 a of the bracket is such that the main portion 8 a follows thesurface of the fender forming the perimeter of the engine compartment.The central portion 8 a of the bracket has a thickness so as to permitthe vehicle hood to open and close without interference. The otherflange 8 c of the bracket provides a mounting point for the support arm6 a, 6 b.

In order to further stabilize the mirror, a further support arm 9 hasone end connected to the bracket 8 a on which the support arm 6 b ismounted. The other end of the support arm 9 is connected to the end ofthe long leg of the L-shaped support member 2.

The unique construction of the brackets and support arms allows themounting assembly to be fixed to the bulkhead of the vehicle therebyreducing vibration of the mirror.

The end of the short leg of the support member 2 can be mounted to thebody panel of the vehicle by a conventional bracket as shown in FIG. 1.FIG. 5 illustrates the clip 3 which permits the support member 2 to bemounted to the wheel well thereby avoiding the necessity for drillingholes in the exterior of the body side panel. An alternative mounting isshown in FIG. 6. In this embodiment, a bracket 10 is mounted to theinside of the wheel well and preferably is connected through the wheelwell to the bulkhead. The bracket 10 follows the contour of the wheelwell so as to avoid interference with the wheel 12 of the vehicle andprojects from the wheel well to a position where it is connected to thesupport member 2.

This embodiment completely avoids the necessity of drilling holes in theexterior body panel and therefore avoids the problems encountered andpresented by such holes.

The end of the support member 2 to which the mirror element 1 is mountedis curved upwardly and has a through hole for mounting the mirrorelement 1 in a conventional manner which allows pivoting of the mirrorelement 1.

FIG. 3 shows an alternative embodiment of the invention in which themirror element 1 is mounted to one end of a main support member 2′. Themain support member 2′ is bent at an angle so as to form two legs. Themirror element 1 is mounted to one of the legs while the other of thelegs is mounted at its free end to a bracket 8′ which is connectable tothe bulkhead of the vehicle in the engine compartment as discussed abovein connection with the embodiment of FIG. 1. A further support arm 10extends between another bracket 8′ connected to the bulkhead and aregion of the main support member 2′ near the bend therein.

A support arm 11 a has one end connected to the main support member 2′at a position between the end of the support member 2′ connected to thebracket 8′ and the angled region of the support member 2′. The secondend of the support arm 11 a is connectable to the vehicle in a mannersimilar to the short leg of the support member 2 discussed above inconnection with the embodiment of FIG. 1. In other words, the second endof the support arm can be attached either by a conventional bracket orby the brackets as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. Yet another support arm 11 bhas one end attached to the support member 2′ adjacent the mirrorelement 1, and another end that is attachable to the vehicle in a mannersimilar to the support arm 11 a.

FIG. 4 shows the mounting brackets 8′. In this embodiment, the flangesof the bracket are not at a 90° angle to the main portion of thebracket. The angle is selected so as to correspond to the side wall ofthe engine compartment opening so as to permit opening and closing ofthe vehicle hood.

FIG. 7 shows another embodiment of the invention in which the mirrorelement 1 is mounted to one end of a main support member 2″. The mainsupport member 2″ is bent at an angle so as to form two legs. The mirrorelement 1 is mounted to one of the legs while the other of the legs ismounted at its free end to a support member 11. The support member 11 isconfigured on one side to substantially conform to the shape of thevehicle fender. Essentially, the support member 11 is L-shaped, with ashort leg of the L resting on the top of the fender adjacent the enginecompartment opening, and the longer leg extending downwardly along thefender of the vehicle. As shown in FIG. 8, the short leg of the supportmember 11 is attached to a mounting bracket 8″ that differs from thebrackets 8 and 8′ in that the flange of the bracket 8″ which is mountedto the bulkhead or frame is of a width sufficient to be connected to thebulkhead by two bolts. The other flange of the bracket 8″ which projectslaterally from the engine compartment is smaller than the flange mountedto the bulkhead. The web connecting the two flanges is tapered from oneflange to the other. The support member 11 is fixed to the smallerflange of the bracket 8″. This fixing can be accomplished in a number ofways, including screwing, gluing, snap fitting, etc. The wide dimensionof the bracket flange mounted to the bulkhead provides stability for themirror in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The main supportmember 2″ is connected to the support member 11 by a pin 13 so that themirror and the support member can pivot about a vertical axis. A furthersupport arm 12 is connected between the pin 13 and the leg of thesupport member 2″ to which the mirror is connected. The arm 12 provideslateral stability to the mirror.

In order to prevent scratching of the fender, it is possible to providea barrier member such as a rubber or fabric layer between the supportmember 11 and the vehicle fender. The barrier member can be mounted tothe surface of the support member 11 facing the fender.

While the mirror mounting assembly has been described in conjunctionwith specific embodiments, it is evident that many alternatives,modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in theart in light of the disclosure herein. It is intended that the meets andbounds of the invention be determined by the appended claims rather thanby the language of the above specification, and that all suchalternatives, modifications and variations which form a function orco-jointly or cooperative equivalent are intended to be included withinhe spirit and scope of these claims.

1. A mirror mounting assembly for mounting a mirror on a vehicle,comprising: a mirror mounting bracket configured for attachment to astructural portion of the vehicle, having first and second sections, thefirst section sized and positioned for connection to the structuralportion; the second section being sized and configured to be affixed toa support member; and said support member connected to said mirrormounting bracket including a pivot element sized and configured to beconnected to and pivotally support the mirror and to be supported by anexterior fender portion of the vehicle, and said support memberincluding a support section substantially in a shape of an inverted Lhaving a short leg connected to said mirror mounting bracket, and a longleg on which the pivot element is coupled thereto, said short legconfigured to engage a top of the fender portion, and said long legextending downwardly along and configured to engage a side of the fenderportion.
 2. A mirror mounting assembly as in claim 1, wherein said firstand second sections each having a respective length and width, and thelengths of the first and second sections are substantially greater thantheir respective widths.
 3. A mirror mounting assembly as in claim 1,wherein said pivot element of said support member is pivotable about anaxis of said pivot element.
 4. A mirror mounting assembly as in claim 1,wherein the short and long legs of said support member are configured tohave a contour that substantially conforms to the contour of theexterior fender portion of the vehicle.
 5. A mirror mounting assembly asin claim 1, wherein the short leg of said support member is secured tosaid mirror mounting bracket, and the short leg configured to rest onand be supported by the top of the fender portion.
 6. A mirror mountingassembly as in claim 5, wherein the long leg extending downwardly alongand configured to rest on the side of the fender portion.
 7. A mirrormounting assembly as in claim 1 wherein the structural portion of thevehicle comprises a location of reduced vibration.
 8. A mirror mountingassembly as in claim 1, wherein said mirror mounting bracket isconfigured for attachment to the structural portion of the vehiclethrough a portion of a vehicle panel.
 9. A mirror mounting assembly formounting a mirror on a vehicle, comprising: a mirror mounting bracketconfigured for attachment to a structural portion of the vehicle,wherein: the mounting bracket including a first flange section and asecond flange section, the first flange section being sized andconfigured to be connected to the structural portion; and the secondflange section being sized and configured to be connected to a supportmember; and said support member coupled to the second flange section,the support member including a pivot element sized and configured topivotally support the mirror, wherein the support member issubstantially in a shape of an inverted L having a short leg connectedto the second flange section of the mounting bracket, and a long leg onwhich the pivot element is coupled therewith, said short leg configuredto engage a top of a fender portion of the vehicle, and said long legextending downwardly along and configured to engage a side of the fenderportion.
 10. A mirror mounting assembly as in claim 9, wherein saidfirst and second flanges each having a respective length and width, andthe lengths of the first and second flanges are substantially greaterthan their respective widths.
 11. A mirror mounting assembly as in claim9, wherein said pivot element of said support member is pivotable aboutan axis of said pivot element.
 12. A mirror mounting assembly as inclaim 9, wherein the short and long legs of said support member areconfigured to have a contour that substantially conforms to the contourof an exterior fender portion of the vehicle.
 13. A mirror mountingassembly as in claim 9, wherein the short leg of said support member issecured to said mirror mounting bracket, and the short leg configured torest on and be supported by the top of the fender portion.
 14. A mirrormounting assembly as in claim 13, the long leg extending downwardlyalong and configured to rest on the side of the fender portion.
 15. Amirror mounting assembly as in claim 9 wherein the structural portion ofthe vehicle comprises a location of reduced vibration.
 16. A mirrormounting assembly as in claim 9, wherein said mirror mounting bracket isconfigured for attachment to the structural portion of the vehiclethrough a portion of a vehicle panel.
 17. A mirror mounting assembly formounting a mirror to a vehicle, comprising: a support membersubstantially in a shape of an inverted L, having a first leg and asecond leg; an arm assembly configured to support at one end thereof amirror unit and having an arm connecting end; a pivot element coupled tothe second leg of the support member and configured to pivotally androtationally support said arm assembly, an interior side of said supportmember being shaped to complement an exterior surface of a fenderportion of a vehicle located adjacent a hood portion of the vehicle, thefirst leg configured to engage a top of the fender portion, and thesecond leg extending downwardly along and configured to engage a side ofthe fender portion; a mounting bracket configured for attachment to aconnecting location providing reduced vibration of the vehicle below alevel of the hood of the vehicle and at least part of a section of saidmounting bracket being positioned below the level of the hood when thehood is in a closed position with respect to the vehicle, said mountingbracket including a first section for connection to the connectionlocation providing reduced vibration of the vehicle and a second sectionsized and configured to be affixed to the first leg of said supportmember; and said support member being supported and affixed to thevehicle by the mounting bracket; and said arm connecting end beingsupported by said pivot element and said support member.
 18. A mirrormounting assembly as in claim 17, wherein said first and second sectionseach having a respective length and width, and the lengths of the firstand second sections are substantially greater than their respectivewidths.
 19. A mirror mounting assembly as in claim 17, wherein saidpivot element of said support member is pivotable about an axis of saidpivot element.
 20. A mirror mounting assembly as in claim 17, whereinthe first and second legs of said support member are configured to havea contour that substantially conforms to the contour of the exteriorfender portion of the vehicle.
 21. A mirror mounting assembly as inclaim 17, wherein the first leg of said support member is secured tosaid mounting bracket, and the first leg configured to rest on and besupported by the top of the fender portion.
 22. A mirror mountingassembly as in claim 17, wherein said support member is configured to besupported by the exterior fender portion.
 23. A mirror mounting assemblyas in claim 17, wherein the mounting bracket is configured forattachment to a structural portion of the vehicle through a portion of avehicle panel.